Lake District
Stone Arthur
504M
1653FT
About Stone Arthur
Stone Arthur is effectively a steep, rocky rib protruding from the side of Great Rigg. While it lacks a distinct peak, the climb from Grasmere is a classic 'quick hit' that provides some of the finest bird's-eye views over the lake and the village's historic rooftops.
Key Statistics
Rank
413th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
3m
Nearest Town
Grasmere
Geology
Stone Arthur is built from ancient volcanic ash deposits and broken volcanic rock fragments, forming a hard, ash‑rich tuff and breccia that make up the fell’s sturdy ground.
Classifications
Find It
Latitude
54.4743°N
Longitude
3.0084°W
Did You Know?
- •Alfred Wainwright granted Stone Arthur separate status as a fell in his 'Pictorial Guide to the Eastern Fells' primarily because of its impressive and individual appearance when viewed from the valley floor.
- •The fell is largely composed of volcaniclastic sandstone and dacitic tuff from the Lincomb Tarns Formation, remnants of the massive volcanic activity that shaped the Lake District roughly 450 million years ago.
- •The summit area is characterized by a narrow, level terrace of rock and grass that sits directly above the steep descent into Greenhead Gill, rather than a traditional mountain peak.
- •The slopes of Stone Arthur provided a constant backdrop for the poet William Wordsworth during his 14 years in Grasmere, a village he famously described as 'the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.'
- •The ascent from the village is so relentlessly steep and direct that your calves will likely be screaming for mercy long before you reach the summit ridge, proving that height isn't everything when it comes to a workout.